The physical and mental health toll of the pandemic on Australian women has been laid bare in a new survey that shows nearly one in five women have reported loss of fitness, weight gain and muscle and joint pain.
Nearly half of women (46 per cent) reported their mental health had declined since the beginning of the pandemic, while 21 per cent said their mental health had prevented them from partaking in everyday activities.
When it comes to physical health, 43 per cent of women said they had experienced a decline since the pandemic began.
The results come from the 2022 Jean Hailes National Women’s Health Survey, based on the responses of 14,000 women and gender-diverse people between March and May 2022.
It revealed that 30 per cent of women reported they were less fit, 28 per cent said they had gained weight and 20 per cent said they experienced muscle and/or joint pain.
The burden of care and domestic labour placed on women during the pandemic, as well as the closure of health facilities like gyms, had a detrimental impact on women’s health.
Many women had to let go of their usual fitness regimes during lockdowns, negatively impacting health and fitness. Queenslander Penny Conlan said being unable to access her usual aqua aerobics classes had made it difficult to keep the pain of her osteoarthritis under control.
“The lockdown meant I had no access to the pool, and I had significantly more joint and muscle pain and was incredibly stiff,” she said.
CEO of Exercise and Sports Science Australia, Anita Hobson-Powell, said the demands on women’s time during COVID-19 meant it had been harder for them to fit movement into their daily lives.
“Regardless of their health status and stage of life, every woman can gain significant benefits from being active,” Hobson-Powell said.
“My message to all Australian women is that to take care of others, you first need to care for yourself. It isn’t selfish to prioritise your health and take time to get the right advice when it comes to exercise.”
Women with a disability, women from non-English speaking backgrounds, LGBTIQ+ people and younger women were more likely to report worse physical and mental health.
The mental health of young women aged 18-25 has deteriorated sharply, with 59 per cent of women in this age bracket reporting worse mental health since the pandemic. It was similar with those in the LGBTIQ+ community, where 64 per cent of respondents reported worse mental health.
Women have not been able to access the healthcare they need
A lack of access to healthcare and medical appointments has been a pressing issue for many women during the pandemic, with 44 per cent of survey participants reporting they could not easily get an appointment with a doctor or health professional when they needed it.
Meanwhile, 32 per cent of women had missed a dental appointment, 18 per cent had missed a health check with a GP, and 14 per cent had missed an appointment with a specialist doctor.
Eight per cent of women reported they had missed a breast screening appointment or cervical cancer screening appointment.
Access to healthcare was a major issue for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, with 53 per cent not able to afford to see a doctor, compared to 44 per cent of all women.
Women from non-English speaking backgrounds have also faced significant barriers to healthcare in Australia during the pandemic, with a massive 70 per cent reporting they could not afford to see a doctor. More than half of women from non-English speaking backgrounds said they could not access health information in their own language.
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners President Adj. Professor Karen Price has urged women to get back on track with their health check ups, in light of the survey results.
“Jean Hailes for Women’s Health’s survey shows women have continued to put health checks on the back burner during the pandemic,” she said.
“This is very concerning because it leads to delayed diagnosis and worsening illness. And GPs across Australia are seeing this, indeed our entire health system is grappling to deal with the backlog of care from people putting off appointments and screening due to COVID-19.
“It’s critical that we get screening back on track in Australia. And this includes everything from breast screens to heart health, mental health assessments and osteoporosis prevention, as well as supporting the updated self-collection process for cervical cancer screening in our practices.
“We know women tend to put the health and wellbeing of their loved ones before their own, and the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women, particularly when it comes to unpaid work, caring for kids and vulnerable relatives.”